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1
Preheat the oven to 425.
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2
Put the morels in a bowl and pour the hot water over them.
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3
Place an inverted small dish over the morels to keep them submerged and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
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4
Lift the morels from the soaking liquid and rinse them to get rid of any grit.
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5
Chop any large morels.
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6
Reserve the soaking liquid.
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7
In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until shimmering.
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8
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
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9
Add them to the skillet, skin side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 6 minutes.
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10
Turn the breasts and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
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11
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and swirl to melt.
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12
Put the skillet in the oven and roast the chicken for about 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
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13
Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
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14
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet.
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15
Add the cremini mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 5 minutes.
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16
Add the morels and cook, stirring, until they start to darken, about 3 minutes.
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17
Add the wine and simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 3 minutes.
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18
Add the stock and slowly pour in the reserved morel soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom.
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19
Simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 6 minutes.
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20
Add the cream and tarragon and simmer until thickened, about 4 minutes.
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21
Add the lemon juice and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
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22
Add the chicken breasts to the skillet, skin side up, along with any accumulated juices, and simmer over low heat until the chicken is hot, about 3 minutes.
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23
Transfer the chicken breasts to plates and serve with the sauce.
